Dallas Cowboys’ heartbreaking injury update ahead of Week 2 adds intrigue to high-profile player’s fate
The latest Dallas Cowboys’ injury update adds intrigue to Mazi Smith’s path on the team.
Perrion Winfrey was one of the biggest preseason standouts for the Dallas Cowboys in August. His effort was so noticeable that head coach Brian Schottenheimer got emotional when discussing how the veteran had made the 53-man roster before the start of the regular season.
Unfortunately, Winfrey will need to be patient to debut with the Cowboys in the regular season. After missing the season opener with a back injury, the team announced he was placed on Injured Reserve. The earliest he could return per NFL rules would be Week 6, when Dallas visits the Carolina Panthers.
It’s a heartbreaking injury update considering Winfrey’s path in the preseason. After getting a second chance at an NFL career following an All-UFL season, the Cowboys defender was considered a long shot to make the roster. When Schottenheimer called him into his office on cutdown day, he expected to be cut. It’s been a long and winding road for Winfrey, whose career has had its fair share of ups and downs on and off the field.
Hopefully, Winfrey is able to come back sooner rather than later to continue writing his comeback story.
Winfrey’s injury adds intrigue to Mazi Smith’s roster status
The Cowboys made former first-rounder Mazi Smith a healthy scratch for their Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Schottenheimer said heading into the regular season that Smith needed to be more consistent and that a gameday role wasn’t guaranteed for him.
With Winfrey temporarily off the roster, the Cowboys now only have five defensive tackles on the team. Does that give Smith a higher chance of playing? Both players were inactive last Thursday, so there’s no guarantee for Mazi. The Cowboys used Kenny Clark, Solomon Thomas, and seventh-round rookie Jay Toia as nose tackles versus the Eagles.
If Winfrey’s injury doesn’t open the door for Smith to play in the near future, it would paint a stark outlook for the former first-rounder. Smith and Winfrey played as a three-technique and nose tackle, though the former is the bigger one. I would be surprised if Dallas uses the newly opened roster spot on another defensive tackle, though. Especially since Earnest Brown IV is on the practice squad.
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